A Happenstance
by MoonytheMarauder1
Summary: While on a mission for the Order, James stops at a pub in Cokeworth and meets the most remarkable Muggle woman. Jily. Muggle!Lily


**A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for the Houses Competition. **

**Word Count: 986**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling. **

**House: Hufflepuff**

**Year: 1**

**Category: Standard**

**Prompt: Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon**

**Note: This is an AU where Lily is a Muggle :)**

**Enjoy!**

James Potter took another swig of his drink, his hazel eyes scanning his surroundings. The Muggle pub was bright and loud—exactly his kind of place. He found himself tapping his foot to the beat of the music, quickly getting caught up in the upbeat rhythm.

James' eyes glittered as he took in the mass of bodies, most of which were dancing uncoordinatedly, trying to keep up with the music. Some were quite good, surprisingly enough; he watched a man and woman as they moved, lost in their own little world. James felt a hard longing well up in his chest and quickly took another sip of his drink to tame it. Tonight was not for what-ifs, he reminded himself. Tonight was for fun, and for _forgetting._

He was nineteen, and the war had already taken its toll on him. But he was still young, so he still had the strength to shrug off those worries and responsibilities for just one night.

The song changed to something slower, and that was when James saw her.

Her red hair was pulled into a knot on the top of her head, bobbing gently as she glided across the floor. There was a brilliant smile on her face, and James found himself leaning forward in his seat, captivated.

He watched her through the entire song, and was so entranced that he almost didn't realize that she was approaching him. When he did, his hand immediately went up to ruffle the back of his head, messing up the dark locks even further.

"Hi," the woman said a bit breathlessly, exhausted from the dancing.

James shot her what he hoped was a charming grin. "Hullo."

The woman raised a brow. "You're not from around here, are you? I know everyone in town."

"No," James said truthfully, "but I think I might be sticking around for a while."

He didn't tell her that he was on a mission for a top-secret society working to bring down a dark wizard, for obvious reasons.

She laughed and sat down in the chair across from him. "That's not something I hear often when it comes to Cokeworth. Normally everyone is dying to leave."

James raised a brow and leaned forward. "Including you?"

He couldn't say that he wasn't curious—there was something about this woman that made him want to keep the conversation going. His friends always said he was sociable, but this was more than him being friendly.

The woman tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear. "On some days," she admitted.

James cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. "James Potter."

Was it unwise to give his real name to a stranger while on a mission? Yes. Did he really care about that at the moment? No.

The woman smiled, and James was captivated by the way her green eyes lit up. "Lily Evans. Pleasure to meet you."

_Lily._ He liked that name. It suited her. James leaned back in his chair. "You're a wonderful dancer," he told her honestly. He wasn't ashamed to have been caught watching. "Really, you are."

She rolled her eyes at the flattery, but a light flush dusted her features. "I'm not as good as you're giving me credit for."

James shrugged easily. The music changed again, and through the multicolored lights he saw Lily watching him carefully, assessing. "I think you're brilliant," he informed her. It wasn't a lie.

A smirk spread across Lily's features. "Do you think I'm better than you?"

To be perfectly honest, James' talents on the dance floor left much to be desired, but he wasn't about to admit to that. "I think you're pretty close."

Lily stood up, her chair scraping against the wooden floor. She stuck out a hand, and James noticed her peeling nail polish and chipped nails with glee; each little flaw made her even more intriguing. "Dance with me, Potter."

He laughed and grinned. "Are you sure you want me to?"

She raised an eyebrow, and he knew that she wasn't fooled by his confident words. Already, she could see right through him. "I promise I won't be offended if you show me up," she said, indulging him.

He looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. He took her hand and let her pull him onto the dance floor. "I hope you don't embarrass easily," he teased, but there was some truth to his words. He didn't mind making a fool of himself, but he didn't want to make her a fool by association.

Lily put a finger on his lips, silencing him. "Shut up, Potter," she ordered. "And for the record, I'll be too busy laughing at you to be embarrassed, if you're as dreadful as I suspect."

"Oi!"

Lily laughed, and James couldn't help but join in. They quickly became lost in the music, and it was as though the world had stopped spinning. The war he was supposed to be fighting, Voldemort, the Order—none of it existed outside of Lily.

Maybe it wouldn't go anywhere. The odds of seeing her again were terrifyingly low. Maybe she wasn't interested like he was, or maybe she wouldn't be a Muggle open-minded enough to accept magic, even if something did become of this night. But this feeling… this was the reminder of what he was fighting for—the reminder he so desperately needed.

When the night had turned into early morning and the stars were slowly winking out, James and Lily exited the pub, a bit tipsy, with their hands laced together.

Lily turned to him, her gaze soft. "This is goodbye, then."

James ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "Yes, I suppose it is." He looked at her sideways, daring to hope. "Unless you don't want it to be?"

A slow smiled crossed Lily's features. "I was hoping you'd say that. How about tomorrow? Here, six o'clock?"

James grinned. "That sounds perfect."


End file.
